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Recapture Pocket

We look at a lot of rocks. The southwest is full of them. And just when you think you have found the coolest site with the most interesting rock formations you find another totally cool and totally different site full of more rocks. How all these rocks came to be in all these interesting shapes – I don’t know. I mean I know there is science behind how they all formed, got their colors, stacked up and all, it’s just don’t know all the sciency facts.

I don’t wonder about the science so much but rather, the aesthetics. I wonder why we go out of our way to look at all these rocks. What makes them so interesting beyond the scientific facts? Why are they so fun to look at and photograph? Not all rocks are interesting. I’ve never been inspired to go out of my way to photograph gravel in a vacant lot. Gravel just doesn’t speak to me like hoodoos, giant boulders, natural arches, slot canyons, or precariously balanced formations on the side of cliffs.

Do you like rocks? What do you think makes rocks so interesting? Do you have a favorite site to look at rocks?

* Click pics to enlarge and view in a slide show.

After we left the Glen Canyon area we planned to drive through the northeastern corner of Arizona, stop at Navajo National Monument and then through the southeastern corner of Utah on to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. In between Navajo and Mesa Verde, we needed a place to stop for the night. At first, I considered Mexican Hat. There is supposed to be a rock there that looks like it is wearing a Mexican sombrero. You know, that seemed pretty cool but I wanted more – someplace even more interesting, perhaps someplace off the map, someplace with more than one rock wearing a hat.

So I searched. Who knows what rabbit hole I went down but I finally landing on Recapture Pocket.

Recapture Pocket was described as being sort of like Goblin Valley in Utah. I also read that nobody goes there. Oddly I read this several times in many different places so obviously some people have gone there and have announced it to the world but still very few people follow in their path.

Because I am OCD thorough I researched Recapture Pocket until I found this great map with driving directions and the location of all of the formations which I could load with Google Maps on my phone. Check it out here.

The information I read was absolutely right – no one else was here.

Clouds are pretty cool too. Put clouds and rocks together and it can be quite lovely.

Hoodoos.

And more hoodoos.

The whole time we were camped in Recapture Pocket we heard this thump, thump, thump off in the distance. It sounded kind of like someone with very boring rhythm playing a drum. It never ceased. Occasionally we would see a truck drive down the road past our campsite and then back again a short while later. On our hike, through the Pocket, we found the source of the thumping and what the trucks were obviously checking on – this nodding donkey oil pump. Recapture Pocket is on BLM land but it isn’t protected. Click the arrow to watch the video.

Written by Duwan

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4 thoughts on “Recapture Pocket”

On
July 8, 2019 at 7:29 pm

Meredith Parsonssaid:

Hi Duwan and Greg, So very glad to see your posts reappear. We, too, love the outrageous rocks of the Southwest. They are simply captivating. Wonderful to hear how great your western sojourn turned out to be. We, too, have kayaked Lake Powell: strangely beautiful.
We are up in NY; come on by! I know you are settled in Cabbage Town but it is truly lovely here. Ed is doing great. We added electric assist to his trike and it is a godsend; lots of hills here.
Love “traveling “ with you.
?. Meredith and Ed

Thank you, Meredith! We often times think about you and Ed when we are out wandering around. I’m really happy we bought our kayak and have the opportunity to explore by water again. I’d love to do more exploring in Lake Powell.

Wow – we’d love to visit you in NY. We have so many responsibilities right now but if you are still there in October, you might see us.

Electric bikes and scooters are big now – so he will be keeping up with all the young kids.

These are beautiful photos of beautiful rocks (and a beautiful sky), Duwan. As you’ve read in one of my earlier posts, we did not (really) make it to Recapture Pocket. We would have truly enjoyed camping here and exploring the area and the hoodoos (by ourselves). But… the roads were too sandy, we didn’t have good directions, we’d made quite some detours already, and it was 100 degrees. I think we made it to the first site, before turning around and giving up on the Pocket altogether. Maybe another time… Your post sure shows it’s a worthwhile stop!

I hate that you guys didn’t get to visit Recapture Pocket. It was pretty peaceful. I remember the roads not being great but good enough for us to get to the first campsite. We walked to all the hoodoos from there. When we see you again I will show you how to load a map of the place on your Google Maps. I was so glad I had it and knew exactly where to go.